The present invention relates to a diagnostic ultrasound device. In particular, the invention relates to a doppler ultrasound transducer of the type used for measuring fetal heartbeats.
There are a number of transducers which are used in conjunction with doppler shift ultrasound equipment for measuring fetal heartbeat. A problem with transducer assemblies of the type which were used heretofore is that they have a limited acceptance angle. Accordingly, it was frequently necessary to reposition such transducers on the mother's abdomen as the baby moved during labor. In addition, many of the "daisy" type transducers which were known before had sensitivity problems in the near range.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to have a doppler transducer with a substantially increased acceptance angle and better near range sensitivity in order to reduce the amount of repositioning required, while maintaining an acceptable monitoring performance.